 Basic PC Navigation, and tips to use at websites, too. |
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 Feb 22 2005, 05:52 PM
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 Learning Daily  Group: Members Posts: 4,543 Joined: 9-July 04 From: Washington State, USA Member No.: 1,322  |
we attempt ot clearly guide YOU in steps that result in a clean PC. You do the steps. Sometimes it isn't clear. Here's an example: QUOTE I'm sorry, it seems I have managed to thoroughly confuse you. It will require some lessons in navigation first, and I'll try to clear up the misconceptions. My first misconception was thinking you had modified you host file yourself. Having done so myself, I thought if you had, then you would know several fundamentals involved in PC use. SOME BASIC TIPS & PC OPERATION FUNDAMENTALS By default, the primary drive, where windows operating system (OS) files of all kinds reside, is hidden. We typically instruct you to expose all files to view. To do this: From your desktop, use the Start button. note: Each (-->) represents a mouse click. It should be mentioned that tray icons and desktop shortcuts exist for convenience only. You can operate your PC quite well with nothing on your desktop, and a minimal amount of tray icons (which indicate processes that start immediately & run constantly) present. Installed programs, both those installed with the Windows OS and any you have installed yourself, will be accessible from the Start Menu. Icons representing the executable files appear on two sides, and all programs can be selected to show a list of programs on a flyout menu Basic navigational skills require an understanding of the context menu(s) also. Rightclick the mouse, on any file or icon. What you see is the context menu. It allows you to perform additional functions. Leftclick, or doubleclick with the left button (unless you have reversed it by preference) will enact a procedure, whereas right click will give you options. Written instructions should differentiate between the two. "Click" is generally considered tomean "use the left button to achieve the desired result(s)". Without going into much further detail, other than to mention that you can set preferences such as making a single a click do the same thing as the default setting for doubleclick (which in turn makes the "hover over" function as the first of the two clicks in "doubleclick") or set the speed of a normal doubleclick, we'll proceed toward understanding basic navigation (or exploring the "innards" of the PC). Start--> Control Panel (icon) --> will (in winXP) give you a new window display. On the left panel (or pane) the words 'control panel" appear, with a button to the right. If the button shows two downward pointing arrows, it means a dropdown menu is available. Once exposed, that menu will allow you to switch to an (the) alternate view. Two views are available.
I use the category view. Exact navigation depends on exact words. The two views allow for problems when describing easily how to get somewhere, so please understand the need for consistancy. We are in category view now. Close the control panel. See how I am? We need to go to My Computer to view system files. Basic navigation will more often require the use of the Start Menu and Control Panel, and so I chose to point it out first. Start --> My Computer. Here the window displays:
and it should be noted that:
QUOTE Did I tell you I know little to nothing about how to navigate the computer inners? Now you know more. To provide for a relatively simple request like: QUOTE Please enter each of these: C:\WINDOWS\system32\devldr32.exe C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe into the scanner here: http://www.virustotal.com/flash/index_en.html and let us know if they come up clean. you need to know even more ...  We typically include this line (or a variation therof) as an initial step in any given HJT log fix recommendation: Set your PC to: show hidden files. Additional information here. To be able to see the small window illustrated in the first link above you would: Start--> My Computer --> Tools ---> Folder Options -->View. translated as "navigate to my computer, select folder options in tools from the toolbar, and in the view tab..." One more obstactle might remain. Start --> My Computer --> Disk 1 Vol 1 (C:) local disk which implies open (doubleclick) it. translated as "open your primary drive". You might get a blue screen telling you these files are hidden, even after you have set the preferences to show hidden files (illustrated above) No problem, On the left panel (or pane) the words "system tasks" appear, with a button to the right. If the button shows two downward pointing arrows, it means a dropdown menu is available. Once exposed, that menu will allow you to:
WindowsXP, and probably most if not all windows versions, loads three folders (folders are also called directories) when you install it for the first time.
(the primary or boot drive) other than these three have been installed after your basic OS, if hidden & system files are NOT set to be visible. With the setting to show all files that was chosen when you changed the folder options above, you will see "transparent files" outside of those basic, fundamental folders. Thats normal. QUOTE These indicate you have modified you host file, located at C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc. O1 - Hosts: 127.98.9.1 mail.bellsouth.net.b9 O1 - Hosts: 127.98.9.2 mail.bellsouth.net(1).b9 Please confirm you are aware of this change. You now have the key to navigation needed to locate any file. Windows --> System32 --> Drivers --> etc. and you'll see your host file(s) QUOTE Another doublecheck would be to rightclick each and select "properties" to determine that they are legitimate files by recording information found. Anywhere on your PC you can choose the context menu. The dialog box that results gives you adional information. Often the date or author of any file gives a clue to it's legitimacy. Use the "properties" choice. QUOTE are you familiar with this program --> C:\Program Files\ieSpell\iespell.dll ? Now you can navigate to it's location and read about it. Communicate what you find, or seek addional information about it. QUOTE C:\WINDOWS\system32\devldr32.exe C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe One or both of these is no doubt a legitimate file. You can determine (by checking them out) that it is so. One more BASIC understanding about websites and how your PC interacts with them.
QUOTE into the scanner here: http://www.virustotal.com/flash/index_en.html and let us know if they come up clean. BROWSE is included. This means you can locate any of the files within any of the folders (directories) that you can now see on your personal computer by using what amounts to a dialog box that is very similar to the ORGANIZATIONAL TREE of directories found in (or on) your own computer relative to any particular location. File organizational trees are all the same. Hard drive (HD) location > Main Folder > Sub-folder(s) > File(s) Selecting BROWSE you navigate to the appropriate location until you find the exact file in question. In this case: My Computer -> C: drive -> WINDOWS -> system32 -> devldr.exe and a few minutes later the results would be displayed as text in the Virus Total window. Without having that particular file on my own PC, I can not determine if it is legitimate. Without searching databases, which I did, to no avail. I also used google search engine to locate any reference to it at other forums. No conclusive results were obtained. The alternatives are two:
the versatility of PC functions that you can use daily is increased. Don't forget HELP MENUS, too. 
-------------------- patiently patrolling, plenty of persisant pests n' problems ...
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